But Scott’s office said there is other money in the budget that could go to the association and filter down to the 10 free clinics in Palm Beach County and 90 statewide.

“The budget includes $28.5 million for a grant program to benefit patients served by organizations like the Florida Association of Free and Charitable Clinics,” said Scott spokesman John Tupps.

But Mark Cruise, executive director of the free clinics association, said he contacted the Agency for Health Care Administration about the money and could get no answers.

“As far as we know, we have no access to that grant program and AHCA doesn’t seem to know,” Cruise said. “It’s a new line item in the budget from what we understand was last-minute negotiations.”

Those negotiations, he said, focused on replacing lost federal money for county health departments and federally qualified health centers.

In a letter to Secretary of State Ken Detzner, Scott said he vetoed the $9.8 million appropriation because it would not go directly for services and thus was “not a statewide priority for improved cost, quality and access in health care.”

“If the governor’s reason for vetoing the $9.8 million was because it was duplicative of another line item in the budget, why wasn’t that the stated reason?” Cruise asked.

Cruise said that the $9.8 million would go for support personnel, medical equipment and the prescription medication the free clinics provide to patients. He said the governor knew that the clinics under state liability laws couldn’t use the money to directly pay doctors or nurses.

Democrats have said the real motivation behind the veto was political payback. It was one of many line-item vetoes of bills backed by lawmakers who supported Medicaid expansion under Obamacare.

Gov. Scott and the House opposed such an expansion proposed by a Senate plan. The issue forced a special session of the Legislature last month.

The Palm Beach County safety net groups certainly aren’t counting on any of that $28.5 million.

They have joined forces with the Health Care District to reach out to the community for other sources of revenue in order to address shortfalls before they become dire.